NFF Chapter Leadership Award Recipients
Biography
A high school and college football player, Dick DeWire has been an exceptional leader in helping to start and grow the NFF Colorado Chapter.
DeWire attended Phillipsburg High School in New Jersey where he was a co-captain of the football team and earned High School Scholar-Athlete honors from the NFF Lehigh Valley Chapter. He was then recruited to play at Princeton by then Tigers head coach Bob Casciola (and subsequent NFF president from 1995-2004). DeWire graduated from Princeton in 1980 with a bachelor’s in history.
DeWire has more than 35 years of experience working in banking and currently serves as senior vice president of Academy Bank in Denver. He has served on numerous boards of directors, including the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame (1993-2018) and the Sportswomen of Colorado Inc. (2003-10).
DeWire was a charter member of the Colorado Chapter, serving as secretary and treasurer from the chapter’s formation in 1992 until 2014, when he took over as executive director. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2018, the Colorado Chapter annually recognizes the top high school scholar-athletes and contributors from across the state at its annual scholar-athlete banquet. The chapter prides itself on being the only chapter nationwide that selects collegiate players of the week and a collegiate All-State team. The chapter also recognizes an Academic All-Colorado team comprised of the 10 football-playing colleges and universities in the state.
“Football is the greatest team sport ever,” said DeWire. “A successful play is every player doing their job. Our Colorado NFF Chapter makes a strong pitch every year to scholar-athletes how important it is to give back to the game. We stress the importance to acknowledge everyone involved in the football production: trainers, equipment managers, video techs, ticket managers, groundskeepers, etc. Be grateful to everyone who makes it possible!”
DeWire and his wife, Sue, live in Denver and have two children, Brett and Anne. DeWire is a diehard football fan at all levels and loves to play guitar and spend time with his family.
